Insisting he’s healthy, Gomez perplexed by plate struggles
BOSTON — Struggling Astros center fielder Carlos Gomez, one of the least productive offensive players in the majors so far this season, was given a “mental and physical day” Saturday by manager A.J. Hinch.
Gomez pinch-ran and garnered one at-bat late in a 6-5, 11-inning loss to the Red Sox, but Jake Marisnick started in center field, batting ninth.
“He’s had a tough go,” Hinch said of Gomez. “That’s been documented. I feel for him because he’s working his tail off to make it better. He’s putting in a lot of time, a lot of effort, a lot of energy. He cares a lot. Things aren’t going his way.”
As of the conclusion of Saturday’s game, Gomez’s .486 OPS ranked 187th of 188 qualified major league hitters. Only the Braves’ Erick Aybar (.436) has been worse. Gomez has a woeful 45:6 strikeout-to-walk ratio, having fanned in 35.4 percent of his plate appearances.
After striking out against Koji Uehara to lead off Saturday’s 11th inning, he is 2 for his last 30 with no extra-base hits, one RBI and 15 strikeouts to four walks in his last nine games.
Gomez insists he is healthy, so a lingering injury is not the issue. He’s simply not hitting, swinging and missing at a rate considerably worse than in any of his previous nine major league seasons.
“It’s a tough moment right now, but I have confidence and believe in myself that I’m better than that,” he said. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me right now. I get here, put in some work every day, come with a good attitude, do what I need to do every day to perform.
“The only thing you can do is continue to do it.”
Gomez is batting .186 after 118 at-bats into his season. He probably would find himself on the bench more often if Marisnick or Preston Tucker were hitting. Marisnick is batting .100 through 30 at-bats; Tucker is at .185 through 81 at-bats.
“We do need somebody to do well,” Hinch said. “Obviously, Tucker and Marisnick and a few of the other guys haven’t had a great first six weeks of the season, either. I’d like to have somebody get hot, and you could make a decision like that based on the best interests of the team and not so much punitive against a player who’s struggling.
“I believe in these guys. I pull for these guys. I want them to get through these ruts. And most of the time, to get through the ruts, you have to go out and do it and perform and not simply watch.”
8-0 Sale looms in next series
A difficult yet important series awaits the Astros this week in Chicago.
When they play the White Sox in a threegame set beginning Tuesday at U.S. Cellular Field, the Astros will face righthander Mat Latos and lefthander Chris Sale, each among the American League’s top 20 in ERA entering Saturday.
Sale, who will start Thursday’s series finale, has been one of baseball’s most dominant pitchers yet again this season. Through eight starts, each of which he has won, he has a 1.67 ERA that ranks third in the AL and a league-best 0.76 WHIP.
Latos, who will start Wednesday opposite Doug Fister, ranks 19th in the AL with a 3.40 ERA.
Lefthander Carlos Rodon, the third overall pick in the 2014 draft, starts Tuesday’s series opener opposite Dallas Keuchel. Rodon has a 4.99 ERA through seven starts.
Odds and ends
Lance McCullers is in line to make his second start of the season Friday against the Rangers at Minute Maid Park. As a rookie last season, McCullers lost both his starts against Texas, each in Arlington. …
George Springer became the first Astros player to record four or more RBIs in consecutive games since Carlos Lee in 2011. He is the only American League player to accomplish the feat this season. …
Jose Altuve is 18-for35 in the first innings of games this season. He reached base a careerhigh five times Saturday, raising his batting average to .345 and his OPS to 1.079. …
Each of Carlos Correa’s six home runs this season have been solo shots. Four have come with two outs. …
Collin McHugh has allowed 10 hits in three of his last six starts. …
With his first-inning single, Boston’s Jackie Bradley Jr. extended his hitting streak to 20 games, longest in the majors this season.